July 30, 2010

Revivex Down Cleaner Review

I have heard from many that cleaning down products can be stressful and difficult. However this product makes the experience quite opposite. Let me start off on how bad of shape my old Montbell bag was in.

My trusty old 30 degree Montbell bag had served me well for the past three years but no longer kept me warm and I no longer wanted to pack it. The fabric was no longer soft and the breathability on the fabric was significantly less that when I bought it. I needed to bring the bag back to life!

I picked up this 12 oz bottle for 8 bucks and went to the laundromat with my bag. Keep in mind that you need to use a front loading washing machine. A top loaders agitator will destroy the baffles. I followed the directions on the bottle which said to use about 4 oz of cleaner. I used about 3 oz because I had a warmer weather bag. When my sleeping bag came out of the wash all the down was clumped and I had to move to the dryer.

I added three tennis balls to the dryer with the bag to help break up the wet down clumps. After two hours in the dryer my bag looked brand new! The loft was regained and the baffles felt full, the shell fabric felt soft and looked clean once again.

That weekend I had to try it out. I went for a climb of granite peak with Craig and gave it the test. Breathability and warmth had been restored. After compression the bag lofted right back up to its 30 degree rating.

I am sold on this product for gear maintenance. I will not wait so long to clean my bag next time. Also the experience was quite easy and stress free. If your bag is old or lost loft give this a try and restore it.

Rating: 5 Stars